After my death our beloved Church abroad will break three ways ... first the Greeks will leave us as they were never a part of us ... then those who live for this world and its glory will go to Moscow ... what will remain will be those souls faithful to Christ and His Church.~St. Philaret of NY

Perhaps the most effective tactic adopted by the adversary of man's salvation has been to blind man to the reality of the spiritual warfare being waged for possession of his soul. We have consequently become spiritually flabby and easy prey for the enemy. To escape such a perilous condition we would do well to contemplate more often the examples of the saints who engaged in direct combat with the Evil One, unmasking his deceptions and thereby disarming him. Nowhere is this illustrated more dramatically than in the life of St. Anthony the Great. Written by St. Athanasius who personally knew St. Anthony, this Life is a spiritual classic with which all Christians should be familiar .

St. Anthony was an Egyptian, born c. 251 of noble Christian parents who provided well for their son's future by educating him in the fear of God. His parents left this world when Anthony was 18 or 20, and he inherited a substantial fortune in terms of earthly wealth. But although he was at the age most attracted by fortune's delights, he aspired only to amass the riches of virtues.

Anthony was reflecting one day upon how the Apostles had forsaken all to follow after Christ. when he heard in church the words of the Gospel: "If thou wishest to be perfect, go and sell everything thou hast...and come and follow Me" (Matt. 19:21). Thus confirmed in his desire to do likewise, Anthony sold his estate and distributed the money to the poor, persuading his younger sister to be likeminded, he gave her into the care of some virgins.

Now free of all earthly attachments, the young man began to lead a life of great abstinence and self-denial on the outskirts of his village. He gave his mind no occasion to think back upon the affairs of this world but led it into a desert that it might be occupied with thoughts of pleasing God alone. He delighted in visiting the dwellings of righteous men and studying their virtuous habits which he proceeded to adopt for himself, exercising himself in their practice. Indeed, he was like a bee which gathers nectar from various blossoms and creates out of it a fragrantly sweet honey. With his concentrated desire Anthony rapidly ascended the ladder of perfection. The enemy, however, could not endure to behold the likeness of Christ shining forth from this creation of dust and ashes, and he determined to destroy this 'house of virtue. '

The Unseen Warfare

The first campaign was waged on the battlefield of the mind. Anthony experienced a barrage of unsettling thoughts--flattery, the allurement of the world and all the pleasures his former wealth could buy, concern for his sister's welfare, the difficulties of the path he had chosen. The vicious net was craftily woven, but the Saint recognized it as the handiwork of his adversary and tore it apart by means of intense prayer and vigilance, deflecting any and all disturbing thoughts before they took hold in his mind. The battle grew more intense when the Enemy', taking advantage of the Saint's youth, assailed him with lustful thoughts, inflaming the natural appetites of the flesh until the Saint was burning with his own lust. He manfully fought back by mortifying his body with increased fasting to quench the passions of the flesh, and by meditating on death and the eternal torments which await those who give themselves over to the spirit of fornication. And so be escaped unharmed, even strengthened by this experience.

When the Evil One found himself so disgraced, he took on a human voice and complained bitterly to Anthony: "I have deceived and conquered m a n y in my time; but now in your case, as in that of many others, I am defied by your ascetic labors."

Knowing that his antagonist would continue to stalk him as a roaring lion after his prey, Anthony did not allow himself to relax his vigilance on account of his victory. He passed many night s without sleep, en grossed in prayer, and limited his bodily nourishment to bread and water, of which he partook once a day at evening. For, he said, by weakening the pleasures of the body the mind is strengthened. Such disregard did he have for the body as to imitate the nature of the fleshless ones, i.e., the angels. The severity of his labors and his accumulated virtues astonished the older ascetics, but Anthony never thought about his spiritual progress and regarded each day a s the beginning of his spiritual journey, thereby shielding himself from pride and vainglory.

For the sake of greater solitude, Anthony moved further from the village to a burial place at the edge of the desert, where he locked him self up in a sepulchre; only allowing a servant to come at rare intervals with a supply of bread. The enemy, embittered by his previous defeat, attacked with vengeance. This time the assault was physical. A whole troop of demons came one night and beat the Saint until the very breath of life was ready to leave him. But even as he lay on the ground, covered with bruises and unable to stand, he said in a loud voice:

"Here, devils, here am I, Anthony, ready for more of your wounds. Try your worst, for you shall never separate me from Christ." He fortified himself by singing the words of the Psalmist: "Though a host should encamp against me, yet my heart shall not fear."

Incensed by the audacity of Anthony's challenge, the Devil gathered his minions: "Don't you see now? This fellow could not be restrained either by the spirit of fornication or by bangs and bruises,.. We must assail him by other means."

That night, as Anthony was still lying on the ground recovering, a hoard of demons shook the walls of the sepulchre and rushed in to terrorize the Saint. For this purpose they had taken on the forms of hideous wild beasts--hissing snakes, roaring lions, ferocious wolves, a bull which threatened to gore the victim. But Anthony was not frightened by what he perceived to be mere spectral creatures, and he made bold to mock his enemy's impotence: "What is the use of all this vain uproar? If ye have power to hurt, why don't you? But you can't, for the Lord is my shield and my wall of safety." The demons could only gnash their teeth in reply.

When Anthony had thus manfully proven himself as a champion athlete in the spiritual arena, he was granted to experience the comforting presence of the Lord. Lifting his eyes heavenward he saw a roof-curtain drawn aside and a ray of light descending upon him. Straightway the demons vanished, and Anthony felt his bodily pains melt away. Consoled by this outpouring of Divine Grace, he rested briefly from the fatigue of battle before addressing his Master aloud:

"Lord, where wast Thou when these sufferings and tribulations came upon me? Why didst Thou not help me?" He heard a voice in reply:

"I was here, Anthony, but I wanted to witness your combat. Having seen that you withstood your adversary without retreating, I shall from now on be your Helper and shall make your name celebrated far and wide as My faithful servant."

Anthony knelt in prayer to give thanks to God for this promise and for the peace and newfound strength which filled his soul, the grace-given rewards of his victory. He was then about 35 years old.

With Demons in the Desert

The next day Anthony left the place of the sepulchres to live as a hermit in the desert. Even as he journeyed, the enemy continued to lay all kinds of traps for him, but the Saint was not to be outsmarted. Seeing a large silver disk in his path, he immediately surmised that it was a ruse of the devil, for had some traveler passed that way and lost it,

surely he would have retraced his steps to recover such a valuable object. "O Devil," he cried out, "you will not so easily draw me away from my purpose. May you take your silver and go down to perdition together." No sooner had he said this than the silver disk disappeared in a cloud of smoke, proof that it was indeed the devil's creation.

At length Anthony settled in a cleft of some rocks beside a river, blocking the entrance so as not to be disturbed. For twenty years he remained there in solitude, admitting no visitors but only a supply of bread three times a year. It must not be imagined, however, that he enjoyed a blissful life of uninterrupted peace. Those who came in hopes of seeing or hearing a word from the far famed ascetic were often perplexed by the raucous din coming from the cleft. They sup-posed a band of angry men had somehow gained entrance, for they could make out shouts of: "Depart from us! Why have you come to our country to cause our death?!" Through a fissure, however, they saw that the Saint was quite alone, and they understood that the tumult was made by demons.

Indeed, the demons quite exhausted their bag of tricks in their frantic efforts to deter the Saint from his course, for fear that his example would inspire others to invade their desert domain with fasting and psalm-singing which they found intolerable. And this is just what happened. Whole multitudes began coming to the desert to lose their lives, like Anthony, for the sake of the Kingdom. Persuaded by their entreaties, the Saint relinquished his solitude to share the light of his accumulated experience with these eager new recruits in Christ's army. By word and example he fanned such zeal for the ascetic life that many monasteries--the first in the history of Christianity--were founded under his influence, for which reason he is known as the Father of Monasticism.

In guiding these warriors of Christ, St. Anthony exhorted them to pursue their aim with diligence, for "the promise of eternal life is bought with a small price.., and the work is easy, if we be only willing." He warned them of the subtle craftiness of the demonic powers, exposing their numerous tricks and guises whereby they seek to trip and destroy the Christian whom they find laboring on the path of salvation. He spoke of the evil and impure thoughts they try to instigate and of the fearful appearances they assume, of their pretention in foretelling future events. "Sometimes, too, they appear in the habit of monks, and talk very religiously in order to gain our confidence and then to seduce us." At the same time, he encouraged the brethren not to fear when they came under attack, but to fortify themselves by faith and the sign of the Cross: "If they find us rejoicing in the Lord, and meditating or conversing on divine things, then demons have no power over the Christian...for when they see the soul secured by such thoughts, they turn away deeply ashamed of themselves."

Besides his extraordinary skill in discerning spirits, St. Anthony had other gifts --of healing, of casting out demons, of foretelling future events. And although he was illiterate he readily outwitted many philosophers. Once, when some 'wise' men came thinking to mock his Christian faith, St. Anthony brought forward several people who were troubled with demons, and said, "Can you heal these men by your reasoning? or by any art or magic, calling upon your idols?" The Saint then called upon the name of Christ and marked the demoniacs with the sign of the Cross, a first, second and third time. Immediately the men were healed of their insanity, and the philosophers departed amazed by the miracle and by Anthony's wisdom.

Treasury of Good Gifts

Crowds flocked to this heavenly-born physician of the Egyptian desert, and no one left without being enriched from St. Anthony's store of gifts. "For who," writes St. Athanasius, "went to him in sorrow, and did not come back rejoicing? Who went to him in anger, and was not converted into a friend? What poor man met him, with a dejected heart, who, after he saw and heard him, did not go away despising riches and content with poverty? If a monk was remiss, he excited him to diligence. If a young man went to the mountain and beheld Anthony, he straightway renounced pleasure and embraced a life of temperance. Whosoever came to him, tempted by a demo n, was relieved; or if troubled with evil thoughts was tranquilized."

Even when St. Anthony had attained the heights of perfection, he never hesitated to learn from someone else. Nor did he, in his humility, ascribe his spiritual gifts to his own achievements, but exhorted those who benefited by his prayers to thank God Who is the source and cause of all that is good.

St. Anthony reached the venerable age of 104, still sound in mind and body notwithstanding his severe mode of life, Foreseeing the approach of death, he gave a final word of instruction to the brethren, warning them to beware of schismatics and the Arian heretics, and urging them to diligently guard their hearts and not to fear the demons. He died in peace after a short illness, welcoming his journey into eternity as et foreigner returning to his homeland. His life, once hidden in the desert, became famed throughout the Roman Empire, not on account of worldly wisdom or riches or political power, but because of his profound piety, towards God, to Whom he brought glory and honor.. Amen.

(Quotations from the Life by St. Athanasius)

The complete Life (52pp.) is available from SJKP.

St. AnthonytheGreat: Life and TeachingsSt. Athanasios theGreatWritten only a year after St. Anthony's repose by his fellow ascetic, this is certainly the definitive account of his life and struggles. Newly revised and typeset classic translation.
Item# 2819. (DC: D)Saddle-stitched. $7.00.

ENGLISH VERSION: A table unused by the Moscow Patriarchate. The enthronement of the new Leader of the Orthodox Church in America

The enthronement of Tikhon, the new Metropolitan of the Orthodox Church in America (OCA) and Archbishop of Washington, took place on the morning of Sunday, January 27, at St. Nicholas Cathedral in Washington, DC. ...

... Administrator of the MP parishes in America said that the OCA is a "daughter of the Mother Church," and therefore "sisterly" (?) relations must be maintained. He paused and realized he got somewhat entangled in the relationship of mother, sister and daughter; nevertheless, the hierarch clarified that the ROC MP will look after the daughter, no matter how old she may be. There was laughter with many actually thinking it was a joke. ...

... Calling attention to itself was the empty table reserved for invited members of the MP delegation, who for unannounced reasons did not attend the dinner. Thus by one gesture diplomatic efforts between two countries are negated.

See some pictures and videos from the recent enthronement of Bishop Ambrose for the Australian and New Zealand Diocese of the Synod in Resistance and Free Serbian Orthodox Church, our sister church.

It was a joyous occasion – the celebration of the Monastery Feast Day of St Sava of Serbia, with clergy and people from the Free Serbian Orthodox Church, the Synod in Resistance, and the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad (Met. Agafangel). The Church was full. A children’s choir sang the Liturgy. Festivities continued for three days, with hundreds of visitors.

The Holy Trinity Church in Astoria had to undertake a costly renovation of the floor in the church after it was discovered that termites had damaged a large part of the flooring.

The repair of the floor is being completed in stages. Archpriest Vsevolod Dutikow, Fr. Victor Dobroff and Deacon Fr. Dmitriy Dobronravov are doing everything possible to continue the regular schedule of services.

A number of individuals have contacted the webmasters of this English-language version of the Holy Synod’s website, asking questions about a posting on the section Administration > Synod News > Resistance Documents >

Responses: “Reply by Bishop Ambrose to the ‘Statement from Metropolitanate of Australia and New Zealand,’ published on the official website of the Serbian Orthodox Church.”

Questions ... have arisen about His Grace’s appointment as Bishop of the Diocese in question.

To answer these questions ... we offer the following clarification:

During the Annual meeting of the Bishops of the Holy Synod in Resistance this past October, His Grace, Bishop Ambrose was blessed to accept appointment as the Bishop temporarily governing the Free Serbian Orthodox diocese in Australia, which has taken canonical refuge in our Synod and which stands in resistance to the ecumenism and associated ills of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC) [the Belgrade Patriarchate] [a.k.a. SP].

Recently, legal assaults by the local representatives of the SOC in Australia, aiming at a corporate "hostile take over" worthy of the worst examples seen on Wall Street, necessitated various preëmptive legal measures for our communities to protect their Churches, properties, Monastery, and administrative integrity. Their legal appointment of a Bishop for the Diocese until, God-willing, a suitable Serbian candidate can be found to replace the much overextended Bishop Ambrose, was one of the principle measures necessitated for the ongoing legal defense.

You may notice the tattoo on his upper arm. In his younger days, Fr. Maxim was a “skinhead” thug who was rescued from jail by then-Fr. Akakije, now Bishop Akakije of the STOC. He was being held in connection with the firebombing of a police station! The court and police released him to Fr. Akakije, who vouched for his repentance and reformation. He became a monk and a priest. Now, glory to God, he has become a confessor."

We apologize for our misunderstanding. Final word from SIR Bishop Ambrose is:

Serb Fr. Maksim is under Bp. Akakije with RTOC, not SiR-

ROCANA Update has reported on the efforts by the Moscow Patriarchate to seize a ROCA Church in Malin; Ukraine; to prevent ROCA priests in Udmurtiya and Barnaul, Russia from serving by using local authorities to take away their churches and then burning down alternate sites used by our parishes; to take a ROCA monastery in Transnistria, Moldova; to prevent our priests from serving in the Leningrad Oblast in Russia. Now we see similar activity by the Serbian Patriarchate.

Below is an excerpt taken from an article written by a neo-Mt. Athos hieromonkand translated by John Sanidopoulos and first published in English on his blog, Mystagogy, and then republished on the MP website, Pravoslavie•Ru.

The title of the article is: Elder Porphyrios:"I Don't Like to Prophesy"and starts out explaining why the "elder", while he [supposedly] clearly sees the future, avoids talking about it. The article praises the pseudo-elder and promotes his false teachings.

–>

... The Hierarchical Prayer of Christ, "that all may be one", was what the Elder served as long as he lived and he slept with it on his lips. Because he knew that when mankind is ensured with unity with Christ, then they will fear neither wars nor the Antichrist.

In contrast, today we approach evil and examine those things that are coming as an inevitable evil. Here we lose the entire essence.

Wars, calamities and upcoming events are the ultimate remedy to human apostasy, which is why Elder Porphyrios would say: "The Apocalypse was written for it not to happen".

The Apocalypse has as its purpose to alert, and the way to avoid it is to serve the unity which Christ left to us as a legacy.

This is the therapeutical treatment to the sick, because if the sickness progresses, the events of the Apocalypse will be the amputation caused by the physician when gangrene sets.

The Elder would say: "Our time is like the time of Christ. Then the world had reached a terrible state. But God spared us. And now we must not despair. I see through the calamity to appear some very important person of God, who will rally and unite the world for good." http://www.pravoslavie.ru/english/58060.htm

I see through the calamity to appear some very important person of God, who will rally and unite the world for good

According to our Church prophesies, the man who will come to unite the world will be the Antichrist. When Antichrist comes he will establish one world government and one world church.

When Christ comes, he will come in glory in the air on the clouds. He will not set foot on earth. He will immediately open the books while he sits on the clouds.Anyone who is preparing people to accept an earthly "king" of the world as the "savior" of the world, is a forerunner of Antichrist.

Christ said:

Matthew 24: 3,4,6

3 And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world?

4 And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you.

6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet.

I recall the true prophesy that says that many Orthodox will also bow to Antichrist along with the Jews. This is being prepared before our eyes.

"The wave of evil roaring out of a dark sea upon mankind is beyond human power to stop. The best Christians can hope for is avoidance. So do not attempt to stop it with your weak hand. Avoid it, protect yourself from it, and that is enough for you. Get to know the spirit of the times, study it so that you can avoid its influence whenever possible." (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov †)

>>>The Hierarchical Prayer of Christ, "that all may be one"<<<

The false elder Porphyrios must have some hypnotic abilities, because who can overlook the lie in this unless they are entranced? This prayer is read over and over in Church services, every Orthodox Christian knows this prayer well. And CLEARLY Christ was NOT praying for "mankind". Christ comes right out and says to the Father, "I pray not for the world..."

My friend in the OCA was given elder Porphyrios' book, "Wounded By Love", by her priest! Certainly a priest has read the Hierarchical Prayer of Christcountless times with great care. How is it that a priest could be so fooled?

How is the false elder getting away with promulgating these lies unless he uses hypnosis? We know that Antichrist will have the assistance from demons for his great popularity. It makes sense that Antichrist's forerunners would also have demonic assistance. What else can it be? – people are not that dumb!

21\01\13 - A fire was set in the convent attached to the Protection parish in the village of Dudachkino in the Leningrad oblast (rector - Fr. Aleksandr Sukhov). Two monastic cells were damaged. The parishioners became suspicious when investigating officers arrived with the fire squad with reports on the incident already prepared and demanding that they be signed. The sisters believe it was arson, as there were no flammable sources or materials stored in that area. They and the parishioners believe this is deliberate harassment from local authorities in retaliation for the parish leaving the Moscow Patriarchia.

ON SEPTEMBER 12/25, 2012, a meeting took place at the Chancery of the Holy Metropolis of Piræus between the representatives of the Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece (G.O.Ch.) and the representatives of the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance, for the purpose of assessing the dialogue conducted at an informal level between the two sides four years ago and of exploring the possibility of renewing the dialogue, this time at an official level. In a spirit of coöperation, the representatives evaluated—as objectively as possible—the positive and negative aspects of the [informal] dialogue, and endeavoured to explore the causes of its unsuccessful outcome. They then discussed ways in which the dialogue might be restarted under more propitious preconditions, namely, through the adoption of a mutually agreed procedure, on the basis of which they will discuss in detail the differences that exist between the two sides, with the ultimate aim of settling these differences and ending the regrettable situation of division. During the time that followed this meeting, both sides remained in continual communication and were able to exchange viewpoints, such that a mutually agreed procedure was indeed formulated, put in writing, approved by both sides, and, finally, signed at the Monastery of Sts. Cyprian and Justina, Phyle, Attica, on Monday, November 6/19, 2012, by the two chairmen of the Committees for Dialogue.

The committee representing the Church of the True Orthodox Christians of Greece consists of His Grace, Bishop Photios of Marathon and the lay theologians Messrs. Zeses Tsiotras and Konstantinos Panos. The committee representing the Orthodox Ecclesiastical Community in Resistance consists of Their Graces, Bishops Cyprian of Oreoi, Ambrose of Methone, and Klemes of Gardikion, as well as three Priests, viz., Archimandrite Glykerios Hagiokyprianites and the Reverend Fathers Angelos Mourlas and (Dr.) Jiří Ján. The mutually agreed procedure, which bears the title “Joint Document by the Committees for Dialogue,” (Parts I and II, in 26 sections), prescribes, in broad outline, that the discussions be conducted on the basis of written proposals, which will be thoroughly scrutinized during the joint deliberations, and that joint communiqués, as well as other particulars regarding matters of procedure, be made public. We will soon make arrangements for the first joint deliberation, at which the agendum will be determined and the dialogue will be officially inaugurated, invoking the Grace of God, through the intercessions of the Theotokos and all of the Saints, and also fortified by the prayers of the entire Body of the Orthodox Church.

From the Chancery of the Holy Synod in Resistance, Phyle [Fili], Attica

Four Year Anniversary: of Our Beloved Departed Brother, EUGENE MAGEROVSKY

In Memoriam: To an Orthodox Hero, and a Fighter For the True Real Russia:

Eugene Magerovsky told the disturbing truth, when the ugly truth was not popular, and many hated and cursed him for doing it.

Those who are still captured by that false-union, OR WHO ARE STILL FEARFUL OF NOT BEING LIKED BY ALL, to this day, curse him, and us who also reject that union with the devil..

Few others were/are now, bold enough to declare the truth.

Is the full & factual truth about that foul 2007 're-union' orabout the real and horrible history of the Communist's enslaved 'MP', even today, popular?

By the mercies of God, may God forgive all of his sins, and may our brother Eugene's courageous soul now rest with the God of All-Truth, in the Land of the Living, where the radiant blinding light of God's Countenance shall perpetually shine on him!

-and where liars cannot dwell, in God's Holy presence.

And may he hear from Our Lord, "Well done thou good and faithful servant, inherit the crown prepared for you".

He passed from this world, on January 18, 2009, our great loss.

Rd. Daniel, privileged to be his friend and to have learned from his wisdom..

In the Orthodox Liturgy there is a high point in the service known as the "Grand Entrance". At that point the Gifts are brought out of the altar and the name of the First Hierarch of the Church is openly pronounced. "Pominat" is the Russian Church word, meaning "to pronounce" at the Divine Liturgy, the name of the First Hierarch. And the majority of Russian ROCOR priests do not want to "pominat" Alexy II. Let me explain why.

The First Hierarch of the Moscow Patriarchate, Patriarch Alexis II, is under two "Anathemas" or "curses by the Church". The first was issued by Patriarch St. Tikhon in 1918 on "all those in Soviet government and those who deal with them," and the second by a group of "katakomb" bishops while incarcerated in Siberia in 1937. These "katacomb" bishops, in following their predecessors, also anathematized the Soviet regime and "all those who deal with it".

You will remember that the apostate metropolitan Sergei Stragorodsky had sought in 1927 to gain the Communists favor by allying his church with the Communist government, thereby bringing St. Tikhon's anathema upon himself.

Metropolitan Sergei also proclaimed himself to be a locum tenens of a locum tenens of Patriarch St. Tikhon who had since died. It is he who also was the first Soviet patriarch, after Stalin established anew the Moscow Patriarchate in 1943. To date, neither of the two anathemas have been lifted.

In addition to the question of the anathemas, there exists a serious question whether the whole MP establishment is really a "church" at all. The facts are that there has been no government recognized organized church in what eventually became the Soviet Union from 1918 to 1943.

In 1943 Stalin organized a "church-like" body only because there has been a strong religious revival on the territories occupied during World War II by the Germans, which were again coming under his [Stalin's] control, where countless churches and monasteries suddenly reappeared.

The first "patriarch" Sergius was appointed by Stalin. The NKVD which later became the KGB had full control of the "church." Bishops and lower church officials were Soviet appointed KGB agents and were given aliases - the alias of the present "Patriarch" is " Drozdov".

It may be as the dewey-eyed idealists claim, that Alexy II has "seen the light," but the Patriarch, the "dewey-eyed" should be reminded, has never atoned for his service to the KGB openly and publically.

To recapitulate:

1. Alexy II has inherited two public anathemas which hang over him.

2. Alexy II is the head of a quasi-church of uncertain and dubious beginnings.

3. Alexy II himself was, if not an "agent", then at least an "operative" of the KGB.

What else do you need? The evidence is indicting.

Is it, then, small wonder that the majority of Russian ROCOR priests do not want to "commemorate" (POMINATâ€™) Alexy II in any way during the services?

ROCOR Dr. Eugene L. Magerovsky

November 2.15. 2005

ROCOR Scholar Dr. Eugene L Magerovsky, has earned a Ph.D. in Russian Foreign Affairs (Columbia, 1975). Dr. Magerovsky is now Vice-President of the Association of Russian-American Scholars. Formerly of New York and Fordham Universities, he had taught Russian History and Russian Political Science at the Graduate School of Georgetown University.

Dr. Eugene L Magerovsky is currently also Vice-President of the Russian Expert Commission Abroad, an inquiry into the fate of the remains of the members of the Russian Imperial House murdered by the Communists on July 17th, 1918, in Ekaterinburg, Russia. He now resides in Kinnelon, New Jersey, with his family and attends ROCOR's Novo-Diveevo Church in Spring Valley, New York.

When the Savior of the world was born, the heavens trumpeted His appearance with a heavenly message accompanied by a choir of angels, with the beautiful song ringing out over Bethlehem, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” The message was heard only by shepherds keeping watch in the night over their flocks. Jerusalem and Bethlehem slumbered at the time in deep sleep.

Does the world hear this heavenly melody now, as it rings out once again over a sinful land? Alas, how many people are asleep now in these holy days? Though they call themselves Christians, their hearing is not open to the sounds of heaven.

Others hear it faintly, as if in a dream. Some only hear it for a short time while in a church. Only a few, who like the shepherds in Bethlehem, open their hearts to this song, revel in its unearthly beauty and desire to never stop listenening to it. The joy, love and goodwill toward men that was brought to earth by Christ the Savior truly reign in their hearts.

If there existed but only a small flock of God’s chosen, then the heavenly message of the angels would be justified. So let every Christian who comes to the church on this joyous feast day to bow before the Birth of the Christ Child and to offer Him his or her humble gift, be like a candle lit before His icon and return home with an illuminated heart, glorifying God in the highest for the spiritual peace given to them. Amen.

I enter the church and hear the hymns of the Church. Their meaning, their words I repeat as if they were my own. I am as one with them and share their meaning, as the sacred writer of these prayers expresses thoughts and feelings that I recognize as my own thoughts and feelings. His writings, though his own, have been accepted as the fabric of Christ’s Church, that is confirmed by Christ.

Christ accepted them as His own. Therefore, when I live my life according to the hymns of the Church, I live a life in Christ. I take joy in the coming feast days. The Church calls me to this, the Church desires that we rejoice in its feast days.

For what reason? Simply to provide us with pleasure? No. That is not enough, it would have no value and not be worthy of the Church. Our pleasures are transient and ordinary, while the Church is devoted to the eternal and actual. All the feast days of the Church are filled with one joy or another; complete, sincere, edifying and soul-nurturing. The joys experienced in one or another historic moment by the more worthy of us. Those who have joined with Christ and become one with Him, and in so doing, laid the path to Christ for us.

In that way the Church desires that we in our commemorations of the feast days experience that which they lived through and join them in what they endured and in that way become one with Christ. The regimen of the Church is dedicated to that purpose. A person bound by his body cannot experience that which is experienced by the heavenly angels. We must try in any way we can to be like them. That is the purpose of the high moral standards of Christianity, as only the pure in heart will come to see God. Amen

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THE SISTER CHURCHES

The True Orthodox Churches of Romania, and Bulgaria, and with the Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, and with the Synod in Resistance, are called by the Grace of the Lord to coexist in Mysteriological communion.

from §4 of “Schedule of Steps in the Union Process” Feb. 2014

VL AGAFANGEL PRAYER

Lord Jesus Christ, Holy Theotokos and all the Saints: keep our souls unharmed from the destructive influences of globalism, ecumenism, and sergianism, and give all of us the strength to endure the latest onset of persecution of the Church of Christ. Amen

QUOTE

"I have taken you in my arms, and I love you, and I prefer you to my life itself. For the present life is nothing, and my most ardent dream is to spend it with you... I place your love above all things, and nothing would be more bitter or painful to me than to be of a different mind than you.”

St. John Chrysostom

QUOTE

"If we have a good priest (or bishop), we give thanks to God. If a bad one, we endure him".

- old Russian saying

QUOTE

"And here is something to which I would like to draw your attention to – something about which very many do not think about. Father Archimandrite Constantine, whom probably many of you know, the reposed editor of the journal “Orthodox Rus’”, a profound Christian mind, considered that the most terrible among all the achievements of the communists was that the communists created their own false-church, a soviet church which they shoved onto the unfortunate people in place of the genuine Church which went underground into the catacombs. Do not think that I am exaggerating or that Father Constantine was exaggerating!

Once, in the year 1918, a Pan-Russian Church Council was held. At this Council, the entire Pan-Russian Church together with its first holy hierarch, Patriarch Tikhon anathematized, excommunicated from the Church not only the theomachists and godless ones themselves, but also all those who would collaborate with them."

~St. Philaret of NY

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"To the Russians abroad, it has been granted to shine in the whole world with the light of Orthodoxy, so that other peoples, seeing their good deeds, might glorify our Father Who is in heaven, and thus obtain salvation for themselves. But if it does not perform this purpose and even abases Orthodoxy by its life, the Diaspora will have before itself two paths: either to be converted to the path of repentance, having acquired forgiveness through prayer to God and being reborn spiritually and to being capable of giving rebirth to our suffering homeland; or else being rejected by God and remaining in banishment, persecuted by everyone, until gradually it will degenerate and disappear from the face of the earth."

from Vladika John's report to the All-Diaspora Sobor in 1938

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The apostasy of our times, to a degree unique in Christian history, is proceeding not primarily by false teachings or canonical deviations, but rather by a false understanding of Orthodoxy on the part of those who may even be perfectly Orthodox in their dogmatic teaching and canonical situation. A correct "Orthodoxy" deprived of the Spirit of true Christianity—this is the meaning of Sergianism, and it cannot be fought by calling it a "heresy," which it is not, nor by detailing its canonical irregularities, which are only incidental to something much more important.

- Russia's Catacomb Saints

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Let it not be thought, however, that I affirm that it is necessary to prize every peace. For I know that there is a splendid disagreement and the most destructive unanimity. Yet one must love a good peace which has a good purpose: unity with God.

-St. Gregory the Theologian

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... To pious Christians the fact that the world has fallen into godlessness is to them obvious, and they are ready to see it as an unfortunate historical inevitability ...

Professor Viktor Trostinkov

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If you want to have assurance that you are saved, repent now that you are young and healthy and it is manifest that you left sin while you were still able to sin. But if you persevere in sin into your old age, why then you did not leave sin, but rather sin left you.

St. Nicodemus of the Holy Mountain

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Live in peace not only with your friends, but also with your enemies; but only your personal enemies, and not the enemies of God.

St. Theodosius of the Kiev Caves

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Judge not according to appearances, but judge righteous judgment.

St. John 7:24

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"If Russia is not ressurrected, a new Golgotha threatens the whole world."

Priest Vladimir Evsukoff 1980†

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A man who does not express a desire to link himself to the latest of the saints (in time) in all love and humility owing to a certain distrust in himself, will never be linked to the preceding saints and will not be admitted to their succession, even though he thinks he possesses all possible faith and love for God and for all His saints. He will be cast out of their midst, as one who refused to take humbly the place allotted to him by God before all time, and to link himself to that latest saint (in time) as God had disposed.

St. Symeon the New Theologian

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SCOBA, to which world orthodoxy gives such great significance, reproaching us for not belonging to it, actually is in no way a canonical organ. The Russian Church Outside of Russia was invited to take part in these conferences; however, our Church refused to send representatives there after clergy of the Moscow Patriarchate were invited. "We never and nowhere will sit at one table with them; by this our spiritual communion with the Universal Church is not broken."

Archpriest George Grabbe 1969

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"Let us always thank the Lord that we are in the Holy Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia, which throughout the 80 years of its existence has trodden the straight, royal path of God, without ever turning aside and losing its way."

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The passions lying hidden in the soul provide the demons with the means of arousing impassioned thoughts in us. Then, fighting the intellect through these thoughts, they force it to give its assent to sin. When it has been overcome, they lead it to sin in the mind; and when this has been done they induce it, captive as it is, to commit the sin in action. Having thus desolated the soul by means of these thoughts, the demons then retreat, taking the thoughts with them, and only the spectre or idol of sin remains in the intellect. Referring to this our Lord says, 'When you see the abominable idol of desolation standing in the holy place (let him who reads understand)... (Matt 24:15). For man's intellect is a holy place and a temple of God in which the demons, having desolated the soul by impassioned thoughts, set up the idol of sin. That these things have already taken place in history no one, I think, who has read Josephus will doubt; though some say that they will also come to pass in the time of the Antichrist.

Philokalia

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There are three things that impel us towards what is holy: natural instincts, angelic powers, and probity of intention. Natural instincts impel us, when, for example, we do to others what we would wish them to do to us (cf. Luke 6:31), or when we see someone suffering deprivation or in need and naturally feel compassion. Angelic powers impel us when, being ourselves impelled to something worthwhile, we find we are providentially helped and guided. We are impelled by probity of intention when, discriminating between good and evil, we choose the good.

Philokalia

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The outward Gospel of social idealism is a symptom of loss of faith.

Fr. Seraphim Rose

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Impurity of intellect consists first in having false knowledge, ...

Philokalia

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Isn't Marx really the third of a trio with Darwin and Freud as a practical source in the war against revealed truth?

Fr. Seraphim Rose

Letters, 1972

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To: ROCA members from the MP

"You have to understand that you have long been in a false church, which implants in its members' souls, a false spirituality, which in turn takes root and grows stronger and stronger, the longer a man stays in it."

Bishop Athanasius, 2014

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Mankind has gone mad, and we see with horror the abyss into which it is being drawn. Let us lay aside every worldly care, and let us fall down in prayer and readiness for the dread Judgment of the Lord. Death will not come with bombs and poisons. Death has already come and take up residence with us and in us, and has made corpses of us, Mammon has overwhelmed this sinful world, which is dominated by Queen Science, Lucifer himself, which with one hand makes medicines and machines for man's foolish happiness and with the other terrorizes him by means of the bomb! Such is the sorry state of knowledge and the agony of the world through and through. Let us lift up our hearts.

-Photios Kontoglou (†1965) letter to Dr. Cavarnos dated 5/10/57

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"Psychopaths are a superior subspecies. We transcend humanity. We are Nature's Supermen. We deserve the subservience and availability of everyone around us. Luckily, every year 100-million people are born throughout the world. We have 100-million new choices every year."

-Sam Vaknin, self-realized psychopath

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Our Saviour placed the Church in the world in order to save the world, and Satan is always trying to place the world into the Church in order to destroy the Church.

attributed to Desert Fathers

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"If you see lying and hypocrisy, expose them in front of all, even if they are clothed inpurple and fine linen."

HALL OF SHAME

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"No one man, or group of men, can himself speak for the Church of Christ. It is nonetheless possible to speak from within the Church, in conformity with Orthodox tradition; and it is this that we shall attempt to do."